Great Scott! Bronte Surfers Hail Their New King

The Bronte Boardriders 2018 season wrapped up on the first weekend of December in fun 2-3 foot conditions, with victory to Mitchell Scott in both the open championship (Carter Cup) and the man-on-man Matt Clements Cup, reaffirming somewhat of a changing of the guard down at the Eastern Suburbs’ most challenging surf beach.

“It was down to Mitch Scott versus Troy Stewart in the last round of the competition and it was set up for a showdown in the final, but Troy fell on a good wave in his first heat and blew it,” Bronte Boardriders president Robert Bruns told The Beast.

For quite some time, the Carter Cup was dominated by veteran Bronte surfers including Caleb Reid and Ryan Clark, but Mr Scott has been knocking on the door and many felt it was inevitable that he
would start asserting his dominance over his aging competitors.

“Mitch grew up in Bronte, originally known as the youngest son of Australia’s best known glass brick builder, and forged his own identity by having the world’s best bowl cut,” Mr Bruns said.

“He was a frother and a good surfer, but he’s always been a good clubman as well.

“When he was about 16 years old we went to a tag team event in Wollongong and he was in his wetsuit for 29 hours straight.

“He surfed in it in the morning, wore it out at night under his clothes, then surfed in it again the next day.

“If that’s not commitment, then I don’t know what is. He’s a much deserved winner.”

Mr Scott was understandably stoked with the outcome on the final day of the season.

“When I was a grommet I could never win any boardriders events but this year it just all came together,” he said. “I’m frothing to win it.

“It’s pretty good to have my name on the trophy next to blokes like Whippet (Ryan Clark) and Caleb Reid. They’re the big guns.

“But the best part of it was the presentation down at the beach, because everyone was there and it was just a mad day.”

While it was Scott who took away the spoils, Michael Jenkinson stole some of his thunder with the undisputed highlight of the day in the water. A chronic neck injury has limited the time the lifeguard better known as ‘Mouse’ has spent in the surf over the past year, but that didn’t stop him tucking into a dredging left-hand barrel through the bunker and emerging unscathed before flipping the bird, beating his chest and stepping straight from his board on to Bronte’s golden sands to the whoops of an elated crowd.

On land, another highlight was about to unfold as Sydney Roosters premiership player and long- time Bronte local Victor Radley surprised his fellow frothers with a guest appearance of the NRL premiership trophy. Needless to say, many photos followed with the local legend and the spoils of his late September triumph.

“I remember when I was about 14 having a sleepover with a mate at my house and the Roosters were just shithouse and we legitimately thought they would never win a premiership in our lifetime,” Mr Bruns said.

“Now to see them win one with a kid from Bronte in the side playing a key role is pretty epic.

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